Six-way swimming pool filter valve



May 2, 1967 J. FRIEDMAN ET AL 3,316,937

SIX-WAY SWIMMING POOL FILTER VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 14, 1965 FIG.4

ATTORNEY May 2, i967 J. FRIEDMAN ETAL SIX-WAY SWIMMING POOL FILTER VALVE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan. 14, 1965 United States Patent 9 3,316,937 SIX-WAY SWIMMING POOL FILTER VALVE Jerome Friedman and Josephine Friedman, both of 744 Bound Brook Place, Dunellen, NJ. 08812 Filed Jan. 14, 1965, Ser. No. 425,406 2 Claims. (Cl. 137-62529) This invention deals with a valve suitable for swimming pool filters, water softeners, and the like, and having a sixway action. More specifically, it relates to a three-outlet cylindrical valve body having a rotary inner slide carrying an outlet and an inner pipe T, and designed to be flanged on to the container on which it is to operate.

A number of valves have been designed and used in the art which have multiple action operation and which have been used in the operation of swimming pool filters, water softeners, and the like. Unfortunately, they have a number of disadvantages, which include bulkiness, use of outside elbow connections, complexity, uncentered water feed, necessity for air bleed lines, and the like. Fur thermore, they do not adapt themselves readily to a flanged installation without use of awkward auxiliary equipment.

According to the present invention, a six-way valve is provided which avoids these disadvantages, and which has the further advantage of low cost, ease of operation, as well as other advantages to be mentioned further in the discussion thereof. The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings in which a preferred embodiment is described, as applied to a swimming pool filter, and in which FIGURE 1 presents a front elevational view, partly cut away, of a valve made in accordance with the present invention. FIGURE 2 illustrates a top or plan view thereof, while FIGURE 3 shows a bottom view thereof. FIGURE 4 depicts a side elevational View of the rotary slide disposed within the valve, and a top view of said slide is shown in FIGURE 5. FIGURES 6-11 show schematic views of the valve and its slide disposed in various positions to indicate the backwash, filter-to-waste, normal filtering, pump-to-waste, closed and recirculation positions, respectively. FIG- URE 12 illustrates a schematic cross-sectional side view along the planes of lines 1212 of FIGURE 2, depicting the slide in normal filter position. The same numerals refer to similar parts in the various figures.

Referring again to the drawing, numeral 12 indicates generally the outer housing of the valve, while numeral 13 indicates generally the inner rotary slide disposed therein. Housing 12 consists of a cylindrically-shaped body or chamber 14 having a top cover plate 15. Body 14 has three equally-spaced openings or outlets, the pool opening 16, the pump opening 17, and the waste opening 18. The inside cylindrical surface 19 of body 14 is ground to fit closely the greased and ground outer surface 20 of rotary slide 13.

Slide 13 comprises a cylinder 21 closely fitting within cylindrical body 12, and designed to rotate axially therein. Mounted within cylinder 21, is a pipe T 22 having oppositely-disposed pipe outlets 23 and 24, and an interconnected vertically-disposed outlet 25. T outlets 23 and 24 penetrate cylindrical wall 20.

A shaft 28 is attached to central portion 29 of slide 13 at the top of slide 13 or T 22, and it projects, in outside sealing relation, through hole 29 in the cover plate of body 12. Attached to the outer projecting end of shaft 28, and desirably in spring-loaded relation to the top of cover plate 15, is handle 30, one end 31 of which serves as an indicator to indicate the position of the rotary slide, as specified on dial 32. Thus, as valve handle 30 is turned, rotary slide 13 is turned within body 12, and the six flow or shut-01f positions possible with the valve are determined by the position of slide 13 within body 12.

Slide 13 also has an opening 33 cut out in an area between T openings 23 and 24 which, when slide 13 is properly rotated, enables liquid to pass therethrough from any of the body openings 16, 17 or 18, passing through the wall 20 of slide 13, and around the outside of T 22 through space 34 within the slide.

The bottom 26 of body 12 is generally flanged, or otherwise connected, to a tank or other vessel 35, such as the open top of a swimming pool filter, while the bottom of T outlet 25 is connected to a pipe, such as pipe 36 which may lead to the bottom of the filter (not shown).

Thus, it is seen that when slide 1.3 is rotated so that liquid flows from any one of body openings 16, 17 or 18 into T opening 23 or 24, the liquid will flow through the T and through pipe 36. However, when slide 13 is rotated so that liquid .flows through opening 33 in its side, then liquid flows around the outside of T 22, through vessel 35 and around the outside of pipe 36. Intermediate positions of the slide also are possible for bypassing purposes, as will be outlined further.

The operation of the valve during the use of a swimming pool filter can be outlined, for example, as follows; First the pool filter is assembled, the motor and pump are connected, and the conventional sand and gravel filter material are inserted into the filter tank 35, and tube 36, leading from the center bottom of the tank 35, is connected to T opening 25, in slidable but in outside-sealing relation and the bottom 26 of body 12 of the valve is connected in outside sealing relation to tank 35. Thereafter, a backwash operation is effected to rid the sand bed of dirt and other foreign material, such as undesirable chemicals. In this operation, the valve elements are positioned as in FIGURE 6, wherein water is pumped through opening 17, through T 22, to the bottom of tank 35, and then up through the sand to the top of the filter tank and out through space 34 around T 22, and out through waste outlet 18.

After the water appears clean, the valve is positioned as in FIGURE 7, wherein water is pumped through opening 17, then through space 34 around T 22, down through the filter in tank 35, then through tube 36 and T opening 25, and out through waste opening 18. This operation cleans out the dirt in the bottom of the sand bed in tank 35, and also settles the sand bed.

Then, when the water is clear and free of impurities, the valve is set for normal filtering operation, as in FIG- URE 8, wherein water is pumped through opening 17, then through space 34 on the outside of T 22, to the top and down through the sand in the filter in tank 35, then back up through tube 36 and T 22 and out through opening 16, to the pool. When the pressure gauge, or other indicating instrument, shows that the filter is becoming clogged with impurities, the valve is positioned into backwash operation, as in FIGURE 6, until the waste water appears clean.

Thereafter, the valve is set for a short period as in FIGURE 7 to settle the sand bed, etc., and then to the normal filter operation, as in FIGURE 8. If a lowering of the pool level is desired, the valve is positioned as in FIGURE 9 wherein the filter is by-passed and water is pumped through opening 17 and through both T outlets 23-24 and also through space 34 around the T, thence through waste opening 18. The closed position, for closing off the pump, is shown in FIGURE 10. i

The valve also can be set into a recirculating position wherein the water is pumped through opening 17 and around and through T 22, then out through pool outlet 16. This operation is useful in mixing chlorine chemicals or other purifying material in the pool.

In order to operate the filter successfully, it is neces sary, from time to time, to draw off air which accumulates at the top of filter tank 35, as, otherwise, full efiiciency of on he filter is not utilized. With conventional valves, this 5 done by bleeding air through a copper tube connected tom the top of the tank to the valve body. In the pres- =nt case, such a tube and pipe are not necessary, since air s easily vented into the pool by use of a small hole in pipe 56 near the top of tank 35.

From the foregoing, it is apparent that a highly ver- ;atile valve is provided which, in spite of its multitudinous applications, is fairly simple in construction and is reasonibly low in cost.

We claim:

1. A valve, of the type described, and designed to be attached to a tank opening provided with a generallycentrally disposed tube, comprising,

a hollow cylindrical body open at the bottom for attachment to a tank opening, and having a top, and

having three substantially equally-spaced openings in the cylindrical wall,

' a cylindrical rotary slide axially disposed within said cylindrical body in close fitting fluid-sealing relation therewith,

a pipe T mounted diametrically across the center of said slide and having its in-line outlets emerging from the cylinder wall thereof in outside sealing relation therewith and in register with a body opening, with the angled outlet directed downwardly for movable connection to a central tube of a tank,

an aperture in the cylindrical wall of said slide between the two T outlets and of size and spacing adequate to enable fluid flow through a body opening and through said aperture, or through a body opening and through the aperture and a T outlet,

a shaft axially mounted on top of said slide and designed to project through said body top in outside sealing relation, and

a handle mounted on the projecting portion of said shaft and designed to enable turning of said slide.

2. A valve according to claim 1 in which the body top carries indicia for indicating slide positions, and the handle carries an indicator movable adjacent said indicia.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS M. CARY NELSON, Primary Examiner. A. ROSENTHAL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A VALVE, OF THE TYPE DESCRIBED, AND DESIGNED TO BE ATTACHED TO A TANK OPENING PROVIDED WITH A GENERALLYCENTRALLY DISPOSED TUBE, COMPRISING, A HOLLOW CYLINDRICAL BODY OPEN AT THE BOTTOM FOR ATTACHMENT TO A TANK OPENING, AND HAVING A TOP, AND HAVING THREE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUALLY-SPACED OPENINGS IN THE CYLINDRICAL WALL, A CYLINDRICAL ROTARY SLIDE AXIALLY DISPOSED WITHIN SAID CYLINDRICAL BODY IN CLOSE-FITTING FLUID-SEALING RELATION THEREWITH, A PIPE T MOUNTED DIAMETRICALLY ACROSS THE CENTER OF SAID SLIDE AND HAVING ITS IN-LINE OUTLETS EMERGING FROM THE CYLINDER WALL THEREOF IN OUTSIDE SEALING RELATION THEREWITH AND IN REGISTER WITH A BODY OPENING, WITH THE ANGLED OUTLET DIRECTED DOWNWARDLY FOR MOVABLE CONNECTION TO A CENTRAL TUBE OF A TANK, AN APERTURE IN THE CYLINDRICAL WALL OF SAID SLIDE BETWEEN THE TWO T OUTLETS AND OF SIZE AND SPACING ADEQUATE TO ENABLE FLUID FLOW THROUGH A BODY OPENING AND THROUGH SAID APERTURE, OR THROUGH A BODY OPENING AND THROUGH THE APERTURE AND A T OUTLET, A SHAFT AXIALLY MOUNTED ON TOP OF SAID SLIDE AND DESIGNED TO PROJECT THROUGH SAID BODY TOP IN OUTSIDE SEALING RELATION, AND A HANDLE MOUNTED ON THE PROJECTING PORTION OF SAID SHAFT AND DESIGNED TO ENABLE TURNING OF SAID SLIDE. 